Seminar on late President Ho Chi Minh held in France

 

A seminar on late President Ho Chi Minh was held on May 6 in Choisy Le Roi on the outskirts of Paris.

 

The event commemorated the 100th year since late President Ho Chi Minh left his homeland for France to seek a way to save the country (1911-2011) and the 121st anniversary of Uncle Ho’s birthday (May 19). It provided a good opportunity for French friends and overseas Vietnamese in France to learn more about late President Ho Chi Minh.

 

The seminar was attended by French historian Alain Ruscio, researcher journalist Daniel Russel, President of the France-Vietnam Friendship Association Helene Luc, and the Mayor of Choisy Le Roi, Daniel Davisse, among others. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh also attended the event.

 

Speaking at the seminar, Minister Anh emphasized that the relationship between Vietnam and France has continuously developed and become a strategic long-term partnership.

 

Mayor Daniel Davisse expressed his pleasure with the developing cooperation between the two countries, particularly among localities.

 

Community role helps tourism development

 

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism on May 6 discussed measures to maximise the value of Vietnam’s culture and community to develop tourism.

 

Assistant Professor Doctor Pham Trung Luong, Deputy Head of the Vietnam Institute for Tourism Development Research, said that it is necessary to link cultural development with the community, because it is an indispensable part of the country’s heritage.

 

The community will be a significant factor in preserving heritage, promoting local cultures and diversifying tourism products, he said.

 

At the seminar, Vietnamese and Japanese tourism experts shared experiences through case studies in each country, presenting a new approach to developing tourism in Vietnam.

 

A seminar on the value of ancient Duong Lam village will take place in Hanoi’s outlying district of Son Tay on May 7.

 

JICA and the National Cultural Heritage Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will launch a project promoting the community’s role in the sustainable development of heritage in three traditional villages: Duong Lam in Hanoi, Phuoc Tinh in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue, and Dong Hoa Hiep in the southern province of Tien Giang, from 2011 to 2014.

 

Hoan Kiem turtle free from fungal diseases

 

The wounds of Hoan Kiem Lake’s giant turtle have been healed after a month of treatment and it is now free from fungal diseases, affirmed an official of the Hanoi Science and Technology Department.

 

At a meeting held in Hanoi on May 5 to consider the result of the turtle’s treatment, director of the department, Le Xuan Rao, said medical examinations of the legendary turtle, one of the most endangered species of turtle in the world, are conducted once a week.

 

Deputy Chairman of the City People’s Committee Nguyen Van Khoi asked relevant departments and branches to propose the best way to attach monitoring equipment to the turtle to enable its future periodic examinations.

 

He also assigned the department to analyse the quality of the lake’s water and mud in the areas that were dredged to find a way to clean up the remainder of the lake so the turtle can be released soon.

 

HCM City celebrates victory over fascism

 

A meeting was held in Ho Chi Minh City on May 6 to mark the 66th anniversary of the victory over fascism (May 9).

 

The meeting reaffirmed the significance of the victory over fascism by the people of the Soviet Union and the Red Army who not only fought for their own national freedom and independence but also smashed the colonial system throughout the world, including Indochina and Vietnam.

 

President of the municipal chapter of the Vietnam-Russia Friendship Association, Hoang Huu Nghia, and Russian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, Anatoli Vasilievich Borovik, affirmed that the May 9 victory was a great one.

 

They emphasised that the key task for the present generation is to maintain peace and form a cooperative and friendly environment among nations.

 

RoK helps build Phu Tho primary school

 

Construction of a primary school worth VND10 billion started in Phu Tho province on May 6, with investment from the Educational Development Memorial Foundation of the Republic of Korea.

 

At the ground-breaking ceremony of the Van Phu-Man Deok primary school, RoK embassy representative Ha Chan Ho described the project, the first of its kind ever funded by the foundation under the Kim Man Deok Association, as evidence of a true partnership which goes further than economic links.

 

He added that the foundation would serve as a bridge to link the school with famous partners in the RoK, to implement exchange programmes and share experiences.

 

Once completed, the two-storey school, covering almost 13,000 sq. m., will accommodate over 700 local pupils.

 

RoK businesses recognised Phu Tho as a promising area with great profit potential, the RoK diplomat said in explanation for the location.

 

Vietnam assists American tornado victims

 

Vietnam through its Red Cross has donated US$50,000 to tornado victims in the US.

 

Earlier on April 29, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung sent a message of condolence to US President Barak Obama over the loss of life and property caused by a tornado on April 27.

 

This was the worst tornado in 37 years, sweeping six southern states.

 

According to the US National Weather Service, around 300 storms have hit the southern states since April 22, 2011.

 

Vietnam Union promotes its youth image abroad

 

The Vietnamese student union in France (UEVF), along with Vietnamese student unions in other countries, has made active contributions to setting up and promoting the country’s youth image abroad.

 

Vo Van Thuong, member of the Central Committee of the Vietnamese Communist Party, First Secretary of the HCM Communist Youth Union, made the remark during his working session with the Executive board of UEVF on May 5 in Paris.

 

The working session took place during the 4-day working visit by a delegation from the Youth Union Central Committee led by Vo Van Thuong.

 

Speaking at the working session, Thuong praised the contributions made by Vietnamese students and trainees in promoting the image of Vietnamese youth abroad, saying that they are an integral part of the Vietnamese youth union.

 

On the occasion, Thuong awarded “Sao Thang Gieng” (January Star) prize, and certificates of merit to individuals and teams of Vietnamese youth in France, who had studied well, actively participated in raising funds for flood victims in the central provinces of Vietnam, and contributed to the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi.

 

Cho Ray Hospital patients complain over price-gouging

 

Many patients complain that they are being charged excessively high prices for medical services and medicine at the Centre of Orthopeadic and Rehabilitation for Disabled Children, a partner of Cho Ray Hospital in HCM City.

 

Cho Ray, the south's leading hospital for surgery and treatment for accident victims, often transfers patients to the facility when it is overcrowded, according to the hospital's directorate.

 

At the satellite centre, even patients with minor injuries are required to deposit VND3 million (US$145) for a two-day stay and must pay for medicine priced in the millions of dong as well as comparatively high prices for other services.

 

Nguyen Hong Hai (not his real name), a patient from neighbouring Dong Nai Province told the Tuoi tre (Youth) newspaper his daily income of VND60,000-80,000 was not sufficient to pay more than VND1 million ($55) for daily hospital fees.

 

Because of the cost, Hai checked out before his treatment was completed. But he still had to pay VND2.5 million for a two-day hospital charge and VND1.9 million for medicine.

 

Other patients from Central Highlands Dak Nong and central Binh Thuan provinces and Cambodia have had the same complaints. Because of the charges, an elderly patient from southern Long An Province chose to sit on a bench instead of a hospital bed.

 

Do Trong Anh, director of the satellite centre, said it had signed a contract with Cho Ray Hospital one year ago to accommodate patients from the hospital, but treatment, prescriptions and medicine were provided by Cho Ray staff.

 

Anh pledged to check to see if doctors were overcharging patients.

 

Assoc Prof Duong Minh Man, head of the Cho Ray Hospital's head injury department, said the department had signed a contract with the centre because it was overloaded with head injury cases caused by accidents.

 

Man said the department transfers to the centre each day around 30-40 patients who are already on the road to recovery.

 

He added that patients in the centre were taken care of by both the hospital and the centre.

 

He said the doctors caring for these patients at the centre had overcharged patients and prescribed unnecessary medicine.

 

"I can't stand this," Man said, referring to the extra charges and the number of unnecessary drugs being prescribed to nearly every patient at the centre.

 

Man emphasised that he had set up a strict process for care when the contract with the centre was first signed.

 

The contract stated that he would supervise the management of staff allocation while the centre's management board would control drug prices.

 

Deputy PM cracks whip over Highway 3 delays

 

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has requested the Ministry of Transport to urge investors to complete procedures for the construction of National Highway 3.

The highway, which runs from Ha Noi to northern Thai Nguyen Province, will be built in the third quarter of 2011.

 

Thai Nguyen Province has so far handed over 98 per cent of land for the project. Ha Noi and Bac Ninh Province have been asked to complete site clearance by the end of June.

 

Drug Administration orders antibiotic test

 

The Drug Administration of Viet Nam has required local health departments and authorised bodies to inspect and deal strictly with the distribution of the counterfeit antibiotic Zinnat.

 

The Central Drug Testing Institute confirmed that 500mg Zinnat tablets (labelled LOT: C463051, MANF D 17-02-10, EXP 02-13, Glaxo Operations UK Limited United Kingdom) were counterfeit. The tablets, bearing slight differences to the genuine ones in terms of package, were found to be available on the market.

 

The administration, run by the Ministry of Health, warned businesses trading in medicine not to trade and use the counterfeit pills.

 

Container scanner put in use in Hai Phong

 

Viet Nam Customs has put a container scanning system, wort US8.7 million and invested in by the Japanese Government, into operation in northern Hai Phong Port on Thursday.

 

The scanner, using X-rays, will help customs officials detect goods which do not match shipping manifests and prevent smuggling, trade fraud and the transportation of illegal goods.

 

The scanner will also help reduce the amount of checking time by four to six times.—VNS

 

Clumping oil has reappeared off the coast of the central province of Thua Thien-Hue's Phu Vang District, causing pollution, according to the district's Department of Environment and Natural Resources on Thursday.

 

Clumping oils have been seen stretched over 40 kilometres along the coast. More than 3.5 tonnes of oils have been recovered.

 

The Provincial People's Committee has ordered preparations to deal with the oil spill.

 

Women corporate leaders give keys to work success

 

A networking night will be held in Ha Noi next Thursday by Anphabe, a senior business group for leaders and experts in Viet Nam.

 

This networking night is one of Anphabe's Share to Succeed monthly series to bring successful, experienced business leaders to share their knowledge with Anphabe's members.

 

Women speakers at the event, which will be run under the title Women, Weak or Strong, will include Deloitte Viet Nam CEO Ha Thu Thanh, Galaxy Communications CEO Le Thu Quyen, and HACO Group deputy general director Le Thanh Hang.

 

The discussion will range across three main topics rarely shared in other formal forums or talk shows.

 

In the first session on Women in Business, the women leaders will discuss their advantages, difficulties and failures. They will also share tips and lessons learnt.

 

The second session will be on the topic Work-Life Balance, when speakers will discuss the way they balance their business responsibilities with their roles as housewives, their daily life management techniques and how they deal with anger and stress. In the third session, the speakers will address Professional Personal Image and its effect on their success, with practical tips on personal care to maintain good health and fresh outlook are also mentioned.

 

Anphabe CEO and founder Thanh Nguyen said women accounted for more than 50 per cent of the domestic labour force but less than 20 per cent of corporate presidents and managing directors are women.

 

"Thus, Anphabe's goal is to create a playground where influential female leaders are invited to share their experiences with Anphabe's members. This event is to help female leaders maximise their strengths in business and gain ideas on how to work more effectively." The night is held in co-ordination with Nokia.

 

Breaking a drug ring by post

 

A foreign drug ring, smuggling drugs into Vietnam by post, was busted yesterday by Ha Noi's police and customs forces, and the Drug Criminals Investigation Agency (C17) run by the Ministry of Public Security.

 

Trương Thị Nga, Nguyễn Thị Hồng Vân and Nguyễn Hà Chung, were arrested at Thanh Xuân Post Office in Ha Noi on Wednesday.

 

Evidence included more than 450 grams of dried marijuana flower bubs, hidden inside two cell phones in a parcel sent from Canada to Ms Trương Thị Nga, of the Hà Vân Limited Company based in Thanh Xuân District.

 

C17 will co-operate with district police and the Hà Nội Customs Department in further investigations.

 

Senior editor charged for $11,700 extortion

 

The Ministry of Public Security has proposed the Supreme People’s Procuracy indict Phan Ha Binh, 42, former deputy managing editor of Tien Phong newspaper, for extorting US$11,700 from two companies last year.

 

According to the ministry’s investigation, in September 2010, Binh, whose pen name was Ha Phan, collected information about a few projects developed by some affiliates of the Saigon Invest Group, with a view to writing articles causing troubles to those projects.

 

Binh met Nguyen Cam Phuong, the Group’s communication director, suggesting her that her group should give him a certain amount of money or he would have some articles published which would cause her company some damage.

 

After Phuong rejected Binh’s suggestion, Binh published on Tien Phong three articles that pointed out shortcomings of some projects of the Saigon Investment Group’s affiliates.

 

Binh later contacted Phuong again, telling her that if the group failed to give him some money he would continue writing similar articles related to the Group’s Saigon-Tan Ky Cement Investment Joint Stock Company, for which she was chief representative in Ho Chi Minh City.

 

Specifically, Binh asked the group to give him VND200 million (US$9,700) in return for stopping writing such articles and US$3,000 for an article that helps the group regain its reputation and image.

 

After reporting Binh’s claims to the general director of Saigon-Tan Ky for instructions, Phuong met Binh and agreed to give him VND220 million ($10,700). She later reported the case to police.

 

On October 13, 2010, local police arrested Binh when he received the money from Phuong at a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City.

 

In another case, after finding out some incorrect details in an announcement released by Luong Tai Investment and Construction Joint Stock Company, Binh requested the company to give him US$1,000 in return for not disclosing those incorrectness to the public.

 

Bui Dinh Hung, chairman of Luong Tai, gave Binh the money. After Binh was arrested, Hung reported Binh’s blackmailing to police.

 

Sugar plant wastewater found exceeding limits

 

Wastewater samples taken more than ten days ago from the Khanh Hoa Sugar Plant in Khanh Hoa province did not meet three quality criteria, said the province’s Cam Lam District People’s Committee.

 

Specifically, the biological, chemical, and solid waste suspension indexes of the samples were 3-4 times higher than the country’s allowable limits, according to the test results by the Nha Trang University Biological and Environmental Technology Research Institute.

 

Earlier, the sugar plant was suspected of discharging untreated wastewater into the province’s Cam Ranh Bay, killing grouper fish en masse.

 

Grouper breeders claimed the mass deaths of their fish had cost them a total VND2.5 billion (US$122,000) in damage.

 

Le Van Dong, who bred groupers in Cam Nghia Ward, said four days earlier, he had found the seawater in his 5,000-sq m breeding area turn into brown red and smell of sugar.

 

Shortly afterwards, his fish began died in large numbers, costing him over VND700 million (US$34,000).

 

The ward authorities also reported a damage of VND1 billion ($48,800) to 25 hectares of gracilaria.

 

On the night of April 23, after reports from local residents, authorities of Cam Thang Bac Ward, Cam Lam District, inspected the plant and found it indeed to be discharging muddy yellow wastewater into the bay through an exhaust valve.

 

Le Quang Hung, deputy chairman of the ward People’s Committee, said, “At that time, the wastewater flowed out of the plant in large volumes. It was yellow and hot at about 60 degrees Celsius. The plant’s management board refused to meet us, so we themselves made a report on the finding and took 20 liters of wastewater for testing.”

 

“If the plant’s wastewater is confirmed to be the cause of damage to fish breeders, the plant must pay compensation,” said Nguyen Tri Tuan, deputy chairman of the district People’s Committee.

 

“In case the plant causes serious pollution problems, we will propose the provincial government suspend the plant”, he added.

 

Meanwhile, Duong Cong Tien, director of the plant, yesterday confirmed with the media that the wastewater sampled by the authorities had been treated before it was discharged into the bay.

 

Headless body of young girl found on Saigon River

 

Authorities Friday pulled out the body of a woman around 20 years old that has been decapitated and chopped off one left arm from a section of the Saigon River in the southern province of Binh Duong.

 

The place is in Thu Dau Mot district’s Phu Cuong ward.

 

Her right arm and left leg were nearly severed too, Lao Dong reported.

 

The body is decomposing.

 

In January this year, police in the northern city of Hai Phong arrested a man who has confessed to killing and dismembering his creditor, a 37-year-old woman.

 

Nguyen Dung Giang, 31, told them he had killed Nguyen Thi Thu Hang, with a hammer but claimed he had done it in a fit of anger after discovering Hang, who had earlier lent him some money, stole VND500,000 (US$25) from him.

 

But police suspect he killed her because he did not want to repay and wanted to steal her gold ring and motorbike.

 

Hang’s headless body was found in an isolated area near Dam Trieu Market in Kien An District. Her arms had also been chopped off and she was naked except for a pair of underpants.

 

Police later found a bag containing two arms and another with clothes near the Lach Tray River.

 

From a deep cut on Hang’s left thigh, police suspect it was an attempt to dismember the limb.

 

Hanoi officials visit General Vo Nguyen Giap

 

On the 57th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7), a Hanoi delegation yesterday paid a visit to General Vo Nguyen Giap, who is credited with the great victory over French troops.

 

A photo exhibition opened the same day to honor the General.

 

The delegation, led by Pham Quang Nghi, a member of Politburo and the secretary of the Hanoi City Party Committee, included many other high-ranking officials of the capital, including Nguyen The Thao, chairman of the Hanoi City People’s Committee; Ngo Thi Doan Thanh, chairwoman of the city People’s Council; and Ngo Thi Thanh Hang, head of the Organization Commission of the city Party Committee.

 

On behalf of the delegation, Nghi wished General Giap good health and longevity.

 

He also reported to the General that the restoration and upgrading of the Doc Lap Martyr Cemetery at Thanh Nua commune, Dien Bien district had been completed.

 

Those works were made in memory of and gratitude for combatants who fell down in the historic Dien Bien Phu Battle, Nghi told the General.

 

He also informed General Giap of the Party’s and State’s activities to mark the 57th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory.

 

Meanwhile, a photo exhibition “101 Moments of Legendary General of Vo Nguyen Giap” was launched in central Quang Binh province Friday in honor of General Giap.

 

On display are 101 photos featuring the life of the 101-year-old General Giap, a brilliant army leader of the world in general and Vietnam in particular.

 

The author of the photos is Tran Tuan, a photographer and journalist from Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

 

The exhibition, which is taking place on the General’s native land, is warmly welcomed by local residents and students.

 

Earlier, these 101 photos were exhibited in Ho Chi Minh City in March 2011 and in Hanoi in December 2010.

 

11 houses collapse from tornado, rain

 

A powerful tornado accompanied by heavy rains Friday afternoon hit the mountainous commune of Binh Son in Thanh Hoa central province, leaving 11 houses collapsed and unroofing 45 others.

 

The tornado was also reported to destroy dozens of hectares of paddy fields and crops in this locality.

 

Fortunately, there was no report of human casualties.

 

Local authorities have donated timely financial relief worth VND2 million each to 11 families whose houses collapsed and have promised to support 45 others struck by the tornado soon later.

 

Binh Son often experiences natural disasters, particularly during the rainy and flooding season.

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15 storm Binh Duong company, shoot dead CEO

 

Lan Thao private company, at Dinh Hoa ward, Thu Dau Mot town, Binh Duong province, was suddenly attacked by 15 armed people yesterday evening. One of the attackers shot dead the company’s owner.

 

The gang came in two cars and two motorbikes. Armed with various weapons, they rushed into the company and destroyed a lot of assets of the company, which trades in roof tiles and construction steel products.

 

The company also doubles as the house for its CEO and firm owner Phan Van Lan, 40 who was not at the scene at the time.

 

When local residents reported the incident via phone to Lan, he quickly rushed home.

As soon as Lan arrived, one of the gangsters used a shotgun to shoot him in his chest. Lan died later on the way to hospital.

 

After being informed, local police rushed to the spot and arrested some of the attackers, including the gang’s leader named Dung.

 

The provincial police are investigating the case and hunting for others who fled the scene.

 

Bag snatcher nabbed in Binh Duong

 

A man was caught red handed while snatching a bag of a female student in the southern province Binh Duong. He admitted to security staffs he snatched 30 bags in April.

 

He is Nguyen Hoang Thanh, 30, permanently residing in district 4 of Ho Chi Minh City.

 

Searching the trunk of his bike, it was found that he kept 25 identification cards, 13 ATM cards and 8 bikes’ registration certificates. He admitted he kept the documents to let his victims redeem for money.

 

He declared that he mainly targeted at women or those who ride average-speed motorbikes.

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Daughter-torturing couple sentenced to 11 years

 

The Dong Thap Provincial Court sentenced Le Thanh Tam, 35 years old, to 6 years in jail and his de-facto wife Nguyen Thi Xuan Lan, 30 years old, to 5 years imprisonment.

 

The victim is Nguyen Nhu Y who is Lan’s blood daughter with her former de facto husband Leo Chin Seo whom she met in Taiwan after leaving her official Taiwanese husband.

 

After she returned to Vietnam, she met Tam (the one receiving the said jail term), who is already married.

 

The two then lived together in the southern province of Dong Thap and as the baby Y often cried, Tam claimed she was possessed by demons and had to be ‘treated’ by him.

 

Lan agreed and on August 14, 2010, Tam used his chin to press hard into Y’s two cheeks while his hands squeezed tight onto his step daughter’s mouth and face.

 

Meanwhile, Lan used her cell phone to videotape the scene. This mobile was later seized.

 

Y was beaten other times and her body sustained bruises, many lesions and scorch marks.

Doctors concluded that Y suffered a 25% permanent injury.

 

Although Lan has Taiwanese-Chinese nationality, she did not ask Chinese or Taiwanese representative offices to intervene in this case.

 

Y is now in the care of Lan’s aunt.

 

On September 16 last year, Y was brought to a local hospital with multiple injuries, following a tip-off from locals.

 

According to Thanh Nien, the duo said they beat the girl because she was a source of bad luck for the family. They believed that hitting her would drive any misfortune away.

 

The girl has bruises all over her body as well as three deep wounds to her left thigh and in the soles of her feet.

 

Lan’s father Nguyen van Kiet, said “The baby often cried and her mother would beat her with a wooden stick”.

 

Neighbors said they heard Y crying and the mother screaming and cursing since but they didn’t know about the abuse, as the girl was kept inside the house at all times.

 

The neighbors alerted local authorities when they saw bruises on the girl’s body by chance.

 

In May last year, the Vietnamese public was shocked and angered by a case of child torture in the southern province of Ca Mau where 14-year-old Nguyen Hoang Anh was repeatedly abused by his employers over the course of a year.

 

The married couple was later sentenced to 23 years in prison each for “deliberately injuring” and “torturing” Anh.

 

Fake antibiotic found in Hanoi

 

Fake Zinnat, a common antibiotic for children and adults, has been found in Hanoi, said Nguyen Van Thanh, head of the Drug Administration Department on Thursday.

 

Thanh said the department would remove all suspected products from the market.

 

Consumers are advised to look closely at the fake drug’s label, which is different from the label of genuine Zinnat.

 

Real Zinnat has the line “Rx-thuốc bán theo đơn” in bold letters printed on its label while this line on the fake label isn’t printed in bold.

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2 men held for kidnapping boy for $25,000 ransom

 

Police in Lam Dong Province Friday arrested two men for allegedly kidnapping an eight-year-old boy to extract a ransom of VND500 million (US$25,000) from his family.

 

Police identified them as Nguyen Xuan Linh, 20, of nearby Daklak Province and Nguyen Ngoc Linh, 24, of Lam Ha District, Lam Dong.

 

Linh, who used to work for the victim’s family, picked the boy, Nguyen Van Truong, up at Gia Lam primary school last Tuesday and the two men took him to a pine forest 10km away.

 

They tied him to a tree as they waited for the ransom.

 

They sent a text message to the victim’s mother, Le Thi Ha, 33, threatening to kill her son if she did not pay VND500 million.

 

She immediately complained to the police who arrested the two men and rescued Truong.

 

They confessed to their crime at the police station.

 

500 illegal Vietnamese workers detained in Russia

 

Russian police have detained more than 500 illegal Vietnamese immigrants in Malakhovka town on the outskirts of Moscow.

 

They immigrants were arrested yesterday at an illegal garment factory following a raid by the Federal Migration Services (FMS), Federal Security Bureau, and the local police, the Moscow Interior Department said.

 

Most of the detainees, including some pregnant women, had no personal papers and could not speak Russian, Zalina Kornilova, the FMS’ press secretary told the media.

 

They had been working in an environment that was completely unsanitary and seriously violated fire safety regulations, she added.

 

The immigrants lived with their families in the factory premises, the police said.

 

Russian immigration and police officers are hunting for the owner of the factory.

 

Source: VOV/VNA/VNS/Tuoi Tre